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| "It's just a ride... It's just a ride... It's just a ride..." - Bill Hicks |
Greetings friend, and bless you for sticking with us these last two weeks. It's been quite the ride, hasn't it? Now we enter the final chapter in our own little story. We have thus far, for the last two weeks, been exploring themes in 'A Christmas Carol', and seeing them in relation to our own inner transformation. To recapitulate then, in the first chapter we discussed the proposal that the Dickens classic of redemption and the indomitable human spirit can be read through modern eyes as a perfect self-help manual. Being as it is exactly 170 years ago that the 31 years old Charles published the book, now seemed as good a time as any to explore a story which could so easily read as a modern Buddhist parable. Interestingly, the novella ties in with both Sangharakshita's "Five Stages of Spiritual Progress" and (I believe) it's more archetypal and symbolic expression, the Mandala of the the Five Buddhas/Jinnas. In the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, a mandala is a sacred circle of spiritual significance, with truths and teachings being expressed through symbolism, on a deeper, more imaginative level than the normal rational mind normally operates on. The most important of all the Buddhist mandalas is the Mandala of the Five Buddhas. This is a personification of the five "essential qualities" that need to be cultivated in order to affect radical changes in our lives, leaving us more contented and less anxious. We noticed how we could arrange these three modes of communication into tiers, with the prose of Dickens being the most accessible, followed by the of the "Five Stages" model, with the most sublime and wordless expression of ultimate reality being conveyed through the mandala, on a level way beyond the language of abstractions or concepts. In effect, conversations beyond language itself, between us, the unenlightened, and the Enlightened mind.
After careful consideration, I believe that the familiarity of 'A Christmas Carol" with the modern reader makes this charming tale the perfect vehicle by which Dickens can take the reader, step by step, through the process of inner transformation, for the benefit of all beings we encounter. This, sadly, is a point overlooked with alarming consistency in modern theo-literary circles.
After careful consideration, I believe that the familiarity of 'A Christmas Carol" with the modern reader makes this charming tale the perfect vehicle by which Dickens can take the reader, step by step, through the process of inner transformation, for the benefit of all beings we encounter. This, sadly, is a point overlooked with alarming consistency in modern theo-literary circles.
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| Don't be left looking into your own life from the cold outside this Christmas... |
What I find amazing, nay, incomprehensible, is that over the last few years the majority of adults and children, in their recollections of the plot of A Christmas Carol, invariably seem to focus on how awful Scrooges behaviour was, with almost no idea of how he turns it all around, which I believe to be the real message of the story. In mentioning this project to a few friends, associations with Scrooge offered to me were always negative, in spite of the incredibly moving ending and the complete and lasting change that Scrooge manages to implement and maintain! It really is an almost-criminal shame that no-one says "Ah, yes, Scrooge, the greatest member society could ever wish for" which in the end, is exactly what he transforms himself into. Such is the complete and radical shift in his perspective and behaviour, and in light of this, I find it astounding and reprehensible that over the years, we have allowed the name "Scrooge" to be defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows:
Scrooge, Ebeneezer: a miserly curmudgeon in Charles Dickens’s novel A Christmas Carol (1843).
(as noun a Scrooge) a person who is mean with money:
"Don’t be a Scrooge and drive away without putting some cash in the collecting tins"
I'm sure that Dickens would have been quietly heartbroken by this. At the time of writing, the young man worked furiously, with an intensity that surprised even himself. Incredibly, he managed to complete his masterpiece in just six weeks, often obsessively working into the night, only breaking to take long solitary walks around the gas-lit, cobbled streets of foggy Victorian London, laughing, crying and wrapped in awe at a time “when all sober folks had gone to bed” as he later recalled. That he was only about 9 months older than myself, 31, when it went to print makes this book all the more startling, and possibly unique in English literature for both its raising of social awareness and it's route-map to change.
When it was published, it was received to universal accolades of the highest degree, even by Dickens' more virulently hostile and traditionally acerbic critics. Even the most outspoken detractors, such as the normally vitriolic Theodore Martin, quietly admitted it was "finely felt, and calculated to work much social change". Wide-spead popular acclaim was immediate and overwhelming (even though, through legal proceedings the following year, the first pressing earned him only £167!) as the most well-respected commentators of the day lined up to praise the work. The London literary magazine, Athenaeum, declared it:
"A tale to make the reader laugh and cry – to open his hands, and open his heart to charity even toward the uncharitable ... a dainty dish to set before a King."
Poet and editor Thomas Hood wrote, "If Christmas, with its ancient and hospitable customs, its social and charitable observances, were ever in danger of decay, this is the book that would give them a new lease. The very name of the author predisposes one to the kindlier feelings; and a peep at the Frontispiece sets the animal spirits capering".
William Makepeace Thackeray in Fraser's Magazine (February 1844) pronounced the book, "a national benefit and to every man or woman who reads it, a personal kindness. The last two people I heard speak of it were women; neither knew the other, or the author, and both said, by way of criticism, 'God bless him!'"
Of Tiny Tim, Thackeray wrote "There is not a reader in England but that little creature will be a bond of union between the author and him; and he will say of Charles Dickens, as the woman just now, 'GOD BLESS HIM!' What a feeling this is for a writer to inspire, and what a reward to reap!"
Of Tiny Tim, Thackeray wrote "There is not a reader in England but that little creature will be a bond of union between the author and him; and he will say of Charles Dickens, as the woman just now, 'GOD BLESS HIM!' What a feeling this is for a writer to inspire, and what a reward to reap!"
A command performance indeed! Dickens later confessed that he received "by every post, all manner of strangers writing all manner of letters about their homes and hearths, and how the Carol is read aloud there, and kept on a very little shelf by itself"
When did you last hear of a book, other than one of holy writ, being afforded a shelf of it's own?! In light of all this, is it possible that for all our "Men-are-from-Mars" and "How-to-make-friends-and-influence-people"-type explorations of the human condition, generally they have too narrow an angle on their subject matter, looking at life from the limiting perspective of erotic relationships, or professional advancement? Psuedo-spiritual, unsubstantiated, unprovable offerings such as best-seller 'The Secret', whereby we can literally 'wish' for good to befall us, I genuinely believe to be psychologically dangerous for some people. Believing that from your seat on your commute to work, you have the unfathomable power of the cosmos at your fingertips to manifest material gain negates the assessment of one's own ethical motivation (is it always a good thing for you and others to get what you want?) as well as neglecting to consider the fact that events are based on a multiplicity of interconnected pre-existing phenomena, many of which are in your control. Nearly eight years after it's publication, doctors still attack 'The Secret' for teaching that positive thinking is an adequate substitute for medical care in cases of serious illness: Wish for it hard enough, and your cancer tumors will melt away. Sweet! Religious leaders criticise 'The Secret' for its ethical claims that victims are always to blame, and for promoting the attitude that anyone can be just like a God just by wishing hard enough. Countless financial critics and advisors have pointed out the dangers of yet another baseless get-rich-quick scheme. As far as I can tell, when you wish upon a star... Unless you act, you wont get far! But wish and act for all there are, and dreams... come... true....
When did you last hear of a book, other than one of holy writ, being afforded a shelf of it's own?! In light of all this, is it possible that for all our "Men-are-from-Mars" and "How-to-make-friends-and-influence-people"-type explorations of the human condition, generally they have too narrow an angle on their subject matter, looking at life from the limiting perspective of erotic relationships, or professional advancement? Psuedo-spiritual, unsubstantiated, unprovable offerings such as best-seller 'The Secret', whereby we can literally 'wish' for good to befall us, I genuinely believe to be psychologically dangerous for some people. Believing that from your seat on your commute to work, you have the unfathomable power of the cosmos at your fingertips to manifest material gain negates the assessment of one's own ethical motivation (is it always a good thing for you and others to get what you want?) as well as neglecting to consider the fact that events are based on a multiplicity of interconnected pre-existing phenomena, many of which are in your control. Nearly eight years after it's publication, doctors still attack 'The Secret' for teaching that positive thinking is an adequate substitute for medical care in cases of serious illness: Wish for it hard enough, and your cancer tumors will melt away. Sweet! Religious leaders criticise 'The Secret' for its ethical claims that victims are always to blame, and for promoting the attitude that anyone can be just like a God just by wishing hard enough. Countless financial critics and advisors have pointed out the dangers of yet another baseless get-rich-quick scheme. As far as I can tell, when you wish upon a star... Unless you act, you wont get far! But wish and act for all there are, and dreams... come... true....
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| Amoghasiddhi (pronounced "A-Mo-ga-Siddy) or The Fearless One. In very obvious parallels with the final stage of Sangharakshita's System of Spiritual Progress, he represent boundless spontaneous creativity, and the destruction of all the poisons and other impediments to our progress. |
Speaking of skilful means, we now come to our final figure of the mandala, Amoghasiddhi, the green Buddha of the northern quadrant. As with the Spirit of Christmas Present, green is symbolic and evocative of life, of growth, of a lush, verdant, outward-facing response to life, truly in tune to the needs of others. Separated by mainland Europe, nonetheless the ancient Indians were just as receptive to changes in the seasons as our early predecessors. In both cultures we see the colour green employed to symbolise verdant creativity, authentically alive and the associations with comfort, security, and confidence are also never more readily appreciated than in the pits of winter. Moreover, and auspiciously, Amoghasiddhi is the Buddha associated with the winter solstice (or "Christ's-Mass") as more newfangled modern religions insist on calling it. During the depths of these darkest months, when food, warmth and morale can be in scarce supply (and thus matters of life and death for some), it is just as lucky for us that Amoghasiddhi is representative of Enlightened bravery and testicular fortitude. The open palmed mudra of Fearlessness or 'Abhiya' (literally "no-fear") is often parallel with Amoghasiddhi's heart, and again, this reminds us that true fearlessness is not an intellectual position, but ultimately an emotional on. If we rely on a dry, desiccated understanding of the world, if we are inclined to reduce everything to the material and deny that which cannot be sold by the pound, then we run the serious risk of alienated awareness of our mental states, which creates psychological instability in the long run. He radiates a benevolent determination to see things through, to act bravely and with conviction upon our deepest insight and desires for spiritual fulfilment.
We have to learn to trust ourselves: to be an individual in the truest sense, to trust that our ethical discernment of situations is sound, and to trust that our motivations do not result in that which may be of harm to ourselves and others. The only way to do that is to eventually relinquish "control" of 'your' life, to just embrace life itself, and a huge part of that is recognising that a lot of life's occurrences are out of your sphere of influence anyway. he bigger picture is incomprehensibly vast. These associations with the fearlessness mudra, the open palm towards the viewer, keeps the mandala in ballance, and as we move around the mandala, we see an alternating pattern emerging; one of turning inward followed by external activity.
We collect ourselves, become more integrated and aware of our present state, and as a result experience a freeing up of energy to be used in the world as act of open-handed generosity. On the basis of seeing the effects of our new skilful motivations, we can asses how we feel about it, and this in turn gives rise to insight. Should we turn our gaze inwards once more and enter upon reflection and meditation, we see all things as unique and precious, as our craving and self-centred greed is abated to a greater extent. As we become more aware of the true nature of the universe and our deliciously small place in it, with our new emotional, intuitive understanding of the path, we then simply respond to the cries of the world in a seamless flow of creative energy. We give off an air of fearlessness, and what remains of our greedy and self-centred attitudes is swept away by a newly found vigour for good. In the Buddhist tradition, after the gift of the Dharma, the twin gifts of fearlessness and confidence (not egotism) are amongst the most highly valued, along with time, energy, metta, material assistance etc. Due to his Insight spontaneously manifestating as skilful creativity for the benefit of all beings, the accomplishing wisdom of Amoghasiddhi is seen as an antidote to the poison of envy, and is thus associated with the transmutation of unskilful 'green' states such as these to their polar opposites, the verdant, Monsoon-like, life-giving elixirs of bravery and self-belief in the face of the daily struggles we all face.
We have to learn to trust ourselves: to be an individual in the truest sense, to trust that our ethical discernment of situations is sound, and to trust that our motivations do not result in that which may be of harm to ourselves and others. The only way to do that is to eventually relinquish "control" of 'your' life, to just embrace life itself, and a huge part of that is recognising that a lot of life's occurrences are out of your sphere of influence anyway. he bigger picture is incomprehensibly vast. These associations with the fearlessness mudra, the open palm towards the viewer, keeps the mandala in ballance, and as we move around the mandala, we see an alternating pattern emerging; one of turning inward followed by external activity.
We collect ourselves, become more integrated and aware of our present state, and as a result experience a freeing up of energy to be used in the world as act of open-handed generosity. On the basis of seeing the effects of our new skilful motivations, we can asses how we feel about it, and this in turn gives rise to insight. Should we turn our gaze inwards once more and enter upon reflection and meditation, we see all things as unique and precious, as our craving and self-centred greed is abated to a greater extent. As we become more aware of the true nature of the universe and our deliciously small place in it, with our new emotional, intuitive understanding of the path, we then simply respond to the cries of the world in a seamless flow of creative energy. We give off an air of fearlessness, and what remains of our greedy and self-centred attitudes is swept away by a newly found vigour for good. In the Buddhist tradition, after the gift of the Dharma, the twin gifts of fearlessness and confidence (not egotism) are amongst the most highly valued, along with time, energy, metta, material assistance etc. Due to his Insight spontaneously manifestating as skilful creativity for the benefit of all beings, the accomplishing wisdom of Amoghasiddhi is seen as an antidote to the poison of envy, and is thus associated with the transmutation of unskilful 'green' states such as these to their polar opposites, the verdant, Monsoon-like, life-giving elixirs of bravery and self-belief in the face of the daily struggles we all face.
Just as Scrooge realises that he needs to embody the lessons of all three spirits on a daily basis, so we need to try and be mindful of our own daily position in the mandala and make a conscious effort on the path of self-transcendence. We must be constantly aware of our surroundings and any prevalent moods swings, and, whenever possible, be asking ourselves "am I aware of myself at this moment?" And "where am I on the mandala/Five Stages right now?". After a while, we can gradually start to notice changes within us. We can't rush this process though, and just as we can't physically force a flower to bloom, so can't we can't just 'change' (no matter how much we wish for it!). Change involves both karma and vipaka, cause and effect. We can't just chase the effect, sitting there on a friday night waiting for people to invite us out. We need to be pro-active, and it's vital to understand that for catalysing lasting change, we require a path of regular steps. We must persevere, we must be willing to play the "long-game". Nothing worth having comes easily, and regrettably, most of us follow the path of irregular steps and unaware of this, can no more fathom the inconsistent fruits of our labours than we can taste the sun.
Given the right conditions, it's very easy to be inspired, to be enthused, to develop a degree of insight, no matter how small. It's what brought you to read this article in the first place, and it's so important to keep reminding ourselves of this. That we all have had some degree of realisation that things are not as we have been lead to believe is something in itself worth acknowledging, reflecting on, and celebrating.
Far harder is it to keep our egos out of the way of our energy flows and inspiration, and concern ourselves with creating conditions most conducive to change. We must be aware that if we don't make the effort, if we merely apply ourselves sporadically, then the effects of our skilful karma will soon run out. How do we keep this flowing without us burning out?
Far harder is it to keep our egos out of the way of our energy flows and inspiration, and concern ourselves with creating conditions most conducive to change. We must be aware that if we don't make the effort, if we merely apply ourselves sporadically, then the effects of our skilful karma will soon run out. How do we keep this flowing without us burning out?
We need to be constantly circumambulating the mandala, constantly seeing opportunities to lessen the suffering of ourselves and others, if not actually spread a little fearlessness. Being creative is not the same as being busy though, and perhaps we are all guilty from time to time of just busying ourselves in order to appear busy, or just to accomplish tasks with little awareness of how we accomplish them, and to what end. Are we busy doing something, or are we busy creating something? What is the 'spirit' with which we enter into these endeavours?
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| Are we being creative, or just busy reacting to life? Are our responses to challenges automated or spontaneous? Are we truly alive? |
Another way of understanding the final, all-accomplishing stage of spiritual development it to assess it via the two main modes within which most people operate - the creative mind and the reactive mind. The best way to understand the creative mind and the final stage of the model is to look at the alternative, less desirable mode of being, advises Sangharakshita.
"The reactive mind doesn't function spontaneously. It doesn't function, it doesn't work, it doesn't operate or manifest out of its own inner fullness. It doesn't, as it were, burst forth. It requires some external stimulus, some provocation as it were, to set it going, to set it in motion. And usually, for most of us, this stimulation, this provocation, comes in one way or another through the five senses. Just imagine or recollect; you are walking along the road, just idly, for the most part perhaps unawarely, just walking along, and you happen to look around, and your eye catches a very vividly coloured and attractively phrased advertisement. So at once what happens? - your mind is captured by this, and you react. You don't know most of the time what you are doing. You're not aware of what is happening. And a reaction arises, usually one of greed or interest, craving, something of this sort, depending on what you've seen with, or through, the eye, the organ of sight. So we can therefore say that the reactive mind, because it is reactive, is a conditioned mind. It's conditioned by its object. We see the advertisement, then automatically the craving arises. It doesn't come, as it were, from within spontaneously. Even that would be something, but it's prompted, it's activated, stimulated, from without. It's conditioned by its object. So the conditioned mind is not free. It's another very important characteristic of the reactive mind. The reactive mind is not free. We are not free so long as we merely re-act instead of just acting"
Sometimes we can get better understanding of what something is on the basis of what it isn't! Just as the Dharma (teachings of the Buddha) isn't Enlightenment (merely a conceptualisation of it on a purely rational, intellectual level), and the finger pointing at the moon is not to be mistaken for the moon itself, the reactive mind is one which is inert, directly reliant on external stimuli and simply responds habitually. The reactive mind does simply that - it re-acts it's previous patterns as per our conditioning. Our minds are very lazy, you know. Most of the time we are not aware that we are drifting through life, unaware of our current mental states. The mind reactive is the standard mode by which most of us operate, most of the time, often at work. This is a mechanical, lifeless way of being, and by which roundabout way, we can posit that on the other hand:
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| Sangharakshita, the "English Monk" circa 1971, around the time he was formulating his revolutionary "Five Stages of Spiritual Progress". From going AWOL in India at the end of WWII, to working there for 20 years, to establishing a radical new Buddhist movement in London 1967, to taking the incredibly brave decision to de-robe in the early 1980's, his life is one of the most fearless I've ever known... But that's another story... |
"The creative mind is, as it were, active on its own account. The motive power, the force, the drive, the inspiration, as it were, of the creative mind, comes from the depths within the mind itself... Suppose we take misfortune, bereavement or loss as a sort of challenge, as a sort of opportunity for unfolding something from within ourselves which is not determined by that object, then this is the creative mind in operation. The reactive mind does tend to be, very often, negative and pessimistic, but the creative mind on the other hand is positive, and it is optimistic. Not optimistic in the superficial sense... but optimistic in the sense that the creativity persists despite even quite unpleasant external conditions and stimuli."
Our 21st century society has never been more connected, yet a lot of people have never felt more alone. We are encouraged to have our own house, car, job, gym membership, partner, maybe even children. We are encouraged to be autonomous, self-contained, self-sufficient. We are less reliant on other people, and so when problems befall us, we have neither the support network of 200 years ago nor a creative, skilful mode of mental proliferation to fall back on. In the olden days of large nuclear families and 'blood' friendships, within which everyone recognised that we have a reliance on and an obligation to those nearest to us, most people rarely felt alone in this world. These days however, with less social or neighbourly interaction (on the whole) we can develop envy and status anxiety if we forget to remember the bigger picture. If in life we have to play society's 'games' (earning a living, being 'respectable' by the group consensus) then perhaps we can engage with these things with less importance placed on 'winning', but with the same enthusiasm, seeing it simply as a fun opportunity to act creatively, just as a parent playing with a small child. The parent knows the game is a fantasy, but plays along anyways, simply delighting in seeing the child happy, sitting free and easy with it all, relaxed and alive to the moment.
This is the fearless attitude of spontaneous creativity that Scrooge now exemplifies - and here is my salient point - not just at the end of the story, but ever onward for the rest of his life!
He doesn't limit himself to making apologies to those whom are deserving of them for the sake of his ego, and he doesn't act kindly out guilt, but simply because his creative mind sees opportunity to spontaneously manifest skilfully, and he responds unthinkingly out of a deeply held emotional understanding of his past misdeeds. He doesn't walk straight over to his nephew Fred's house, but allows his morning to unfold without trying to grasp at it. It is a real pleasure to see all five stages of the Path of Progress manifest themselves in this final stave, "The End of It". The oft-missed irony here is that this is very much the "start of it", his new life, not the 'end', as we shall see from the off.
He opens his eyes, and tuning into his experience with Akshobian, mirror-like clarity (again) comes into sudden awareness of his surroundings, his body, the time of day, and the fact that he's "still here"! The Ratnasambhavan emotional positivity that is released can barely be held by his slender form, and giggling like a school boy, he turns to face the outside world as he yanks up the window in glee. To him, it is a magical dawn, and his first as a new man. Through his senses, he becomes appreciative of the transient beauty of the external, the crisp cold air and azure skies, and the astonishing texture of this new inner experience. The clarity of such an insight leaves him practically speechless at the "glorious" nature of existence itself, reminiscent of the all penetrating blazing wisdom of Vairocana. Gazing down upon the street with the discerning, loving eyes of Amitabha, he spies a "remarkable boy... a pleasure to talk to", and out of no-where, with the Insight of Amoghasiddhi, Scrooge spontaneously knows, instinctively, what has to be done, and sets about purchasing the famous giant turkey "Twice the size of Tiny Tim". How do we know this is a skilful act...?
"'I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's.' whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. 'He sha'nt know who sends it!"
Aside from the obvious joy and hilarity at being able to (finally) connect with others and help according to their unique needs, the fact that he keeps his acts of astonishing generosity to himself illustrates clearly his motivations as altruistic and not based out of an egotistical desire to be seen to be a good person, changing for the vanity and praise to be earned. This is the first of three remarkably generous acts that Dickens keeps between Scrooge and the benefactor alone, the other two being the donation to the portly charity collector and his final act we directly hear of; ensuring the survival of the Cratchit family and by extension, Tiny Tim. The mortality rates for London in 1839 were shocking by todays standards, with half the city's burials being accounted for by those under ten years old! In Victorian society, there would have barely been a family who hadn't lost a child, but in spite of advances in modern medicine, it is understandable why the final image of Tim being carried through the streets of Camden (where the Cratchits reside) is still as timeless and endearing as ever.
Sadly now, dear friend, we near the end our epic voyage of self discovery and for me it has indeed been an epic journey; some 8 or 11 hour writing sessions, hours of research, innumerable talks from the www.freebuddhistaudio.com website, and all of it a pleasure! Hopefully, from our initial excursion, we can now see clearly that A Christmas Carol is indeed a remarkable piece of classic modern literature (modern, of course, when compared to the discourses of the Pali Cannon recorded some 2,300 years ago) and we can indeed, with remarkable ease see the "ghosts" of ideas that Dickens held so dear to his heart throughout his life; in his own words:
"There is a wisdom of the head and a wisdom of the heart. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else. Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest."
"The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists... A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self. Try to have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
"Happy, happy the Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!"
Whilst no reasonable person could assert that Dickens was a closet Buddhist trapped in the existential closet, the similarities of belief between himself and Buddhist scholars of the last 2,000 years is impossible to ignore. By skilful means, he was able to devote a lifetime to exposing human suffering and inequality in society, and no-one can deny that he had a genius for psychologically memorable characters surpassing most. Great oceans of compassion ebbed and flowed through his inner life, and whilst some people claim he was "just a normal man, a writer, albeit a very gifted one", in light of our recent literary foray I find that a hard assertion to uphold.
He himself would have known, from friends in theological and theosophical circles, of reports of strange discoveries, of giant gold-plated status in mountain caves and overgrown temple complexes, reclaimed by humid and inhospitable jungles in the far east. It is possible that some of his ideas were shaped by the the 'discovery' of an ancient 'religion' in subcontinental Asia, but the truth of the matter is that behind the resolute smile and penetrating gaze was a man able to stare into the very depths of the human condition, and offer us a way out. A way out, it must be said, first expounded by the historical Buddha, and then by later scholars of many a varied tradition and culture, including Sangharakshita. Maybe Bhante's model was subconsciously influenced by Charles' book. Who knows? What I do know, for a fact, is that whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not, we all influence each other. We are interconnected.
Whether we chose to call it 'Buddhism', 'the real world', Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or common sense, and be it expressed in poetry, prose, concepts or archetypal symbolism, what matters is that we pay attention to our inner experiences, past, present and future, and that we try and use these experiences to investigate and resolve inner conflict. Then, and only then, can we become more emotionally robust, unified and ethically purposeful individuals, in the truest of senses. Through reflecting on both the oneness, uniqueness and ultimate transience of life, we can bring real meaning to our own lives, through spontaneous acts of kindness, love and charity. Our impermanence means we are interconnected, through space, time and love. None of us will make it out of here alive - lets try and make this ride as meaningful as possible for our fellow companions. Whatever you want to change in your life, I believe in you. I believe in the Path of self awakening. And I believe that if we put our minds to it, one being at a time, then we can explore space, both inner and outer, together, forever, in peace.
This is my truth, please tell me yours...
Tomorrow, when you arise, take a second or two. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Ask yourself how you are, how you would like to be, and how you can close that gap with a sense of kindness. In and of itself it wont change the world, but it's a hell of a start! In the meanwhile, I genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, hope that the coming Christmas does indeed bring you and your loved one's together, and that this joyous, life-affirming "Carol" of the Cosmos can be sung en mass, with full vigour, a warm heart and an open mind across this world we share for many, many years to come. May your home be 'haunted' pleasantly this year, and may be we all be considered proper 'Scrooges' one day... There are worse things to wish for, after all...
And as for the future of our hero, the final outcome of our tale? Scrooge carries on growing, exponentially and finally unchained, carries on evolving, carries on in the admirable personal and social vision of Dickens himself, and all with a fabulous sense of humour, it's worth remembering. As one of the worlds greatest humanitarians, we see Charles 'living out' his own altruistic aspirations vicariously though the new Ebeneezer, and although often narrated by Bob in the final moments of the play or film, tonight I will leave you with the timelessly inspirational words (and a knowing, smiling wink - Scrooge's "Abstinence" from further "spirits"), of one Mr Charles John Huffam Dickens...
"Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.
Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms.
His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.
He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.
May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed,
God bless Us, Every One!
Your humble and obedient servant,
D.F
I wish you all the Merriest of Christmases, and may the year indeed be a New, happy
and spiritually prosperous one, for all of us, wherever, whomever or whenever we are.
May any merit gained in my acting thus be dedicated to the benefit of all beings.
May you be well, may you be happy, may you live in peace xx
This is the fearless attitude of spontaneous creativity that Scrooge now exemplifies - and here is my salient point - not just at the end of the story, but ever onward for the rest of his life!
He doesn't limit himself to making apologies to those whom are deserving of them for the sake of his ego, and he doesn't act kindly out guilt, but simply because his creative mind sees opportunity to spontaneously manifest skilfully, and he responds unthinkingly out of a deeply held emotional understanding of his past misdeeds. He doesn't walk straight over to his nephew Fred's house, but allows his morning to unfold without trying to grasp at it. It is a real pleasure to see all five stages of the Path of Progress manifest themselves in this final stave, "The End of It". The oft-missed irony here is that this is very much the "start of it", his new life, not the 'end', as we shall see from the off.
He opens his eyes, and tuning into his experience with Akshobian, mirror-like clarity (again) comes into sudden awareness of his surroundings, his body, the time of day, and the fact that he's "still here"! The Ratnasambhavan emotional positivity that is released can barely be held by his slender form, and giggling like a school boy, he turns to face the outside world as he yanks up the window in glee. To him, it is a magical dawn, and his first as a new man. Through his senses, he becomes appreciative of the transient beauty of the external, the crisp cold air and azure skies, and the astonishing texture of this new inner experience. The clarity of such an insight leaves him practically speechless at the "glorious" nature of existence itself, reminiscent of the all penetrating blazing wisdom of Vairocana. Gazing down upon the street with the discerning, loving eyes of Amitabha, he spies a "remarkable boy... a pleasure to talk to", and out of no-where, with the Insight of Amoghasiddhi, Scrooge spontaneously knows, instinctively, what has to be done, and sets about purchasing the famous giant turkey "Twice the size of Tiny Tim". How do we know this is a skilful act...?
"'I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's.' whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. 'He sha'nt know who sends it!"
Aside from the obvious joy and hilarity at being able to (finally) connect with others and help according to their unique needs, the fact that he keeps his acts of astonishing generosity to himself illustrates clearly his motivations as altruistic and not based out of an egotistical desire to be seen to be a good person, changing for the vanity and praise to be earned. This is the first of three remarkably generous acts that Dickens keeps between Scrooge and the benefactor alone, the other two being the donation to the portly charity collector and his final act we directly hear of; ensuring the survival of the Cratchit family and by extension, Tiny Tim. The mortality rates for London in 1839 were shocking by todays standards, with half the city's burials being accounted for by those under ten years old! In Victorian society, there would have barely been a family who hadn't lost a child, but in spite of advances in modern medicine, it is understandable why the final image of Tim being carried through the streets of Camden (where the Cratchits reside) is still as timeless and endearing as ever.
Sadly now, dear friend, we near the end our epic voyage of self discovery and for me it has indeed been an epic journey; some 8 or 11 hour writing sessions, hours of research, innumerable talks from the www.freebuddhistaudio.com website, and all of it a pleasure! Hopefully, from our initial excursion, we can now see clearly that A Christmas Carol is indeed a remarkable piece of classic modern literature (modern, of course, when compared to the discourses of the Pali Cannon recorded some 2,300 years ago) and we can indeed, with remarkable ease see the "ghosts" of ideas that Dickens held so dear to his heart throughout his life; in his own words:
"There is a wisdom of the head and a wisdom of the heart. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else. Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest."
"Happy, happy the Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!"
Whilst no reasonable person could assert that Dickens was a closet Buddhist trapped in the existential closet, the similarities of belief between himself and Buddhist scholars of the last 2,000 years is impossible to ignore. By skilful means, he was able to devote a lifetime to exposing human suffering and inequality in society, and no-one can deny that he had a genius for psychologically memorable characters surpassing most. Great oceans of compassion ebbed and flowed through his inner life, and whilst some people claim he was "just a normal man, a writer, albeit a very gifted one", in light of our recent literary foray I find that a hard assertion to uphold.
He himself would have known, from friends in theological and theosophical circles, of reports of strange discoveries, of giant gold-plated status in mountain caves and overgrown temple complexes, reclaimed by humid and inhospitable jungles in the far east. It is possible that some of his ideas were shaped by the the 'discovery' of an ancient 'religion' in subcontinental Asia, but the truth of the matter is that behind the resolute smile and penetrating gaze was a man able to stare into the very depths of the human condition, and offer us a way out. A way out, it must be said, first expounded by the historical Buddha, and then by later scholars of many a varied tradition and culture, including Sangharakshita. Maybe Bhante's model was subconsciously influenced by Charles' book. Who knows? What I do know, for a fact, is that whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not, we all influence each other. We are interconnected.
Whether we chose to call it 'Buddhism', 'the real world', Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or common sense, and be it expressed in poetry, prose, concepts or archetypal symbolism, what matters is that we pay attention to our inner experiences, past, present and future, and that we try and use these experiences to investigate and resolve inner conflict. Then, and only then, can we become more emotionally robust, unified and ethically purposeful individuals, in the truest of senses. Through reflecting on both the oneness, uniqueness and ultimate transience of life, we can bring real meaning to our own lives, through spontaneous acts of kindness, love and charity. Our impermanence means we are interconnected, through space, time and love. None of us will make it out of here alive - lets try and make this ride as meaningful as possible for our fellow companions. Whatever you want to change in your life, I believe in you. I believe in the Path of self awakening. And I believe that if we put our minds to it, one being at a time, then we can explore space, both inner and outer, together, forever, in peace.
This is my truth, please tell me yours...
Tomorrow, when you arise, take a second or two. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Ask yourself how you are, how you would like to be, and how you can close that gap with a sense of kindness. In and of itself it wont change the world, but it's a hell of a start! In the meanwhile, I genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, hope that the coming Christmas does indeed bring you and your loved one's together, and that this joyous, life-affirming "Carol" of the Cosmos can be sung en mass, with full vigour, a warm heart and an open mind across this world we share for many, many years to come. May your home be 'haunted' pleasantly this year, and may be we all be considered proper 'Scrooges' one day... There are worse things to wish for, after all...
And as for the future of our hero, the final outcome of our tale? Scrooge carries on growing, exponentially and finally unchained, carries on evolving, carries on in the admirable personal and social vision of Dickens himself, and all with a fabulous sense of humour, it's worth remembering. As one of the worlds greatest humanitarians, we see Charles 'living out' his own altruistic aspirations vicariously though the new Ebeneezer, and although often narrated by Bob in the final moments of the play or film, tonight I will leave you with the timelessly inspirational words (and a knowing, smiling wink - Scrooge's "Abstinence" from further "spirits"), of one Mr Charles John Huffam Dickens...
"Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.
Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms.
His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.
He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.
May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed,
God bless Us, Every One!
D.F
I wish you all the Merriest of Christmases, and may the year indeed be a New, happy
and spiritually prosperous one, for all of us, wherever, whomever or whenever we are.
May any merit gained in my acting thus be dedicated to the benefit of all beings.
May you be well, may you be happy, may you live in peace xx
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